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Elaine Hindal, chief executive of Drinkaware, said: “The more you drink, the greater the long-term risk to your health and these ONS figures show a worrying increase in the number of alcohol specific deaths in the UK.

“From time to time, we are contacted by the families of people who have died as a result of alcohol and are only too aware of the heartbreak and utter sense of helplessness that people feel when trying to lead someone to seek help for alcohol misuse.

“We must all do more to address the stigma that people feel in reaching out for support.

“For many of us, there are simple and effective ways for people to cut back on alcohol; taking more Drink Free Days each week for example can reduce the overall amount of alcohol you drink and reduce the risk of developing serious illnesses.”

To reduce the risk of alcohol-related illness, the NHS recommends drinking less than 14 units a week, which equates to around 7 pints of 4% lager or medium glasses of wine.